Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-12
ATALE OF QUEUE TORTUE.

or Turtles Tail Its Inhabitants are the de-
scendants of the original Acadian settlers
and for over century past they have kept
almost entirely to themselves, marrying and
interlaarIying, so that every resident there is
related TO everybody else in the prairie They
have decided distaste for anything that
terds toward progress, and the habits and
manners of their fathers arc followed as
P!ously as are the instructions of their priest
Simple hearted, CAV. and imbued with all the
esprit of their French ancestors. they are
probably as content people as can be found
On either side the Atlantic Raising cattle
tiillng some cotton, and loving their families
they entertain but little regard for what Is
TRANSPORTING in the great world beyond the
boundaries OF Queue Tortue Their wants
are but few, and with enough coffee, tobacco
and corn, they live contentedly to ripe old
age Strong in their affections, family ties
are held in reverence, and a fourth cousin
receives as hearty welcome at their simple
homes as brother or near relative They
arc, however, exceedingly shy of strangers
and it requires long residence in that local
ity 10 secure even the faintest approach of
Intimacy with them.
Near the center of the prairie, i'll plain
cottage of four rooms, the Ponpon family
lived in that bucolic simplicity which bad
given such longevity to their ancestors. To
the observer it will be seen that the same
strings of rcd peppers were hanging from the
rafters that were picked in the forties, and
the same little black coffeepot was resting be
side the hearth out of which their grantisirc,
Pierre Alcibiade Ponpon, had taken his
morning cup. There could be no question
about the furniture, for all of it, save one
modern bedstead purchased in later times for
the girls was of so primitive type it was
even eloquent of its antiquity At one end
OF the gallery an Anticipated hand loom told
where the family nankin cottena,Ie came
from, and collection of empty sarline boxes
under the house suggested newly acquired
tastes not entirely in keeping with the print
tive character of the aforementioned loom.
Four yellow haired dogs dozed languidly in
the afternoon sunshine on the bare patch of
earth in front of the domicile, now and then
mastering up sufficient energy to go through
4 sort OF banjo picking, vibratory movement
with the left hind leg, as they sought TO re-
move the predatory flea
Beyond, the swells of the prairie went roll
ing away in the distance like great pillows of
green, with here and there knots of cattle like
bits of seaweed afoat on the surface Still
beyond, sky and grass met where it appeared
the world ended. Skirtings of cypress in
some directions told of meandering bavous.
and once in awhile a thin column of smoke
indicated the position of the nearest houses.
some four or five miles AWAY
n was bright October afternoon and the
air was fragrant with the odor of the ripen-
ing grasses and flowers of the prairie Great
white clouds IN broken outline lay along the
horizon like mountain ranges, the sides Of
which were riven by gorges and CANYONS Of
shadow. A crew of nomadic white cranes
were pluHling themselves at a water hole
about quarter of mile away. while above,
seeking the shelter of the far-of sea marsh.
wisIS of blue winged teal were scudding be-
FORE the first north winds of the autumn
lied to china tree near the Ponpon dwelling,
With dropping head and ewes half closed.
STOOD a small Creole pony, as Cncanny q look
ing quadruped as a horseman could well
imagine. 4 rough saddle with heavy wooden
stilrupS, a rawhide bride with strong curb
bit and saddle blanket made of moss, were
the only ornaments Of the little beast III
minutlve as was the animal, it was evident
rom The length of the stirrup straps that his
rider was quite a tail individual Such a
surrnise would have been at once corrobor-
nted by glance into the front room. which
served at once as parlor. bed chamber and
sitting room. There, on a low. straight
backed oak chair of rawhide bottom. sat a
young man of about 25, his face bronzed hy
exposure, and his long boots bespattered with
mud. Standing in those same boots the wirv
cavalier would have measured something like
six feet two inches. His features showed that
be was OF Anglo Saxon blood He was known
IN the neighborhood as 'M'sieu Hareese.- A
slight variation on his patronvrnic. Harris
Some eighteen months before the afternoon
referred 10 he had purchased a tract of land
N me prairie, and on II had opened stock
farm on small scale He was Industrious
genial and frank, 50 that after a period of
probation he was greeted by the residents
thereabouts with something ike cordialitv
His little ranch, as he liked 10 call il. was
about five miles away from the Ponuon resi-
dence, and on this occasion he had pollnnad
across the prairie and ridden directly into
what would have been the front ward of that
family. had there been any fences around rhe
place
There was something in his face that he
tokened unusual earnestness. and when be
vaulted out Of the saddle and, hat in hand
inquired of the young lady in a guinea bIua
gabrielle, on the gallery. if her brother was
AZ home, ne surprised that black-eyed demoi-
selle very much by his manner.
She happened TO be the only person at
home, for her widowed mother had that dov
ridden TO Grand Coteau to confession. and
the brother was out looking after a stray
yearling Alosine Ponpon was the elder of
two sisters The younger Seraphine, had
some two years before left the parental home
with gallant young husband, and was now
comfortably settled over at Coulee Crocbe
This marriage of the more Youthful sister
had been a severe blow to AIosipe for sba
had always been led TO believe that sr,itnrs
were bound 10 take the elder daughter first
The bridal party, mounted on their LITTLE
creole tackles, and followed by waecn ~
household goods, had hardly disappeared be-
hind knoll in the prairie than she burst into
q passion Of tears and refused 10 t4 COM
forted. From that day she formed a resnlu-
titi4 lil-ti II Il1lu II would nor
be her fault. She was. perhaps, little too
tan and angular to attract many of the fas
tidious Young men. and her undisguisej
efforts TO capture gallant were perhaps too
much for the CAV beaux Of the prairie. Rc
this Is 1t may, few ever stopped at the house
longer than time enough TO water their horses
or take a cup OF coffee. except. pertains.
Aleck Harris. He had been over often. and
mad spent whole afternoons with her brother
talking over stock matters and the improve
E.ent of grasses.
Alosine had nurtured warm sentiment
for tie young man, and when he was in the
house invariably managed to be in the same
room. She thought she saw signs of recipro-
Gated feeling frequently. and now that he
had come over at n time when she was alone
she was sure there was but one obiec, TO his
mission On his approach she lad darted
Into her room. given hurried twist to her
hack hair and cncircled her neck with
flaming red ribbon, so that when he reached
the steps sh" looked at her best